Container



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CONTA INER Filed April 12, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 pril 24, 1945. s, w, CQNNER -ET A| 2,374,177

CONTAINER Filed April 12, 194:5 2 sheets-sheet 2 J3 I l lll,

ly www? a@ l. l Patented Apr. 24, 1945 CONTAINER Samuel W. Conner, Dallas; and Jean R. Neil and Paul A. Nemoede, Fort Worth, Tex., assignors to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application April 12, 1943, Serial No. 482,672

4 Claims.

This invention relates to containers and more particularly to containers made from paperboard, such as Vcorrugated board or solid iiberboard. Still more specically, the invention relates to a paperboard container which is retained in setup condition and reinforced by means of a pair of relatively rigid elements such as wood cleats, and which is particularly adapted for use in transporting fresh fruits and vegetables under refrigerated conditions.

Containers of the general type referred to above have been disclosed in prior patents, such as United States Patent No. 1,621,225, issued in the name of Harrison B. Walter on March l5, 1927', but such containers have a number of disadvantages, especially when used in the manner indicated above. The improved container of the present invention, on the other hand, was particularly designed so as to withstand the stresses and shocks involved in the shipment of such commodities in refrigerator cars.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved container which is relatively simple in construction and light in weight but which is nevertheless sturdy enough to carry the top and side loads imposed during transportation, whereby the possibility of injury to the contents is minimized. Another object is to provide an improved container of paperboard or the like having relatively rigid end cleats arranged to retain it in set up form, assist in distributing top loads properly among the container walls, and also insure protection against excessive side and end loads during rail or other shipment. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be.

apparent from the following detailed description of the specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a view of the end of the container of Fig. 1, which has been partly cut away to reveal a vertical cross-section along line 3 4 of Fig. l;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the blank used to produce the container of Fig. 1; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged side view of one upper corner of the container of Fig. l.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 4, it will be seen that a blank of a sheet material, preferably sueh as corrugated board or solid flberboard, is provided which has a bottom panel III, a pair of side wall panels I I and I2 hingedly joined thereto along score lines I3 and I4, respectively,

score line 26, respectively. As illustrated, all of the various panels have die-cut holes 21 in them in order to allow ventilation of the contents of the container, but this is not an essential feature of the invention.

When the blank is set up into box form, the side wall panels II and I2 are brought to a position at right angles to the bottom panel I0, extensions I9 and 23 are folded on score lines 20 and 25 so that they overlie score lines I1 and I8, and the end wall panels I-5 and I6 are then swung upwardly so thatl they are in face-to-face relation with the previously folded extensions to forni a container end of double thickness, since in the present instance the extensions I9 and 23 are of such length that they substantially abut. Strips of relatively rigid material such as wood cleats 28 are then secured to end wall panels I5 and I6 in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 by appropriate fastening means which preferably also secure the extensions I9 and 23 in position. As best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, this can be simply and effectively done by means of a plurality of nails 29 driven from theinside of the container into each of the cleats 28. Also an adhesive can be used between end wall panels I5 and I6 and the adjacent extensions if desired, which will impart additional rigidity to the end wall structure.

An important feature of the present invention is the construction of the end walls so that they extend slightly above the side walls and, therefore, relieve the latter of most of any top load to which the container may be subjected, the end walls being capable of withstanding this load by reason of the extra thickness of paperboard. This advantageous result is obtained by employing slits or cuts 30 between the end wall panels I5 and I6 and the adjacent extensions I9 and 23 as shown in Fig. 4 in place of the conventional slots, and by forming all of the end wall panels and extensions so that their height when the container is set up will be slightly greater than the height of the side walls Il and I2. In ordinary cases this extra height would be in the neighborhood of 1/3 to te inch, so that the upper Side wall panel I2 is similarly edges 3| of extensions I l and 23 are separated from the laterally extending portions l2 ot cover panels 22 and 24. respectively, by short slits 33 instead of the usual slots, these slits being above the normal height of side wall panels ll and l2. Another feature of importance is the provision of the cleats 28 at each end of the container which extend a substantial distance, e. g., 54; to V4 inch, laterally beyond the side walls of the container. When a plurality of such containers are illled and loaded into a railroad car side-by-side with cleats 28 running lengthwise of the car, the ends of the cleats 28 on adjacent containers abut each other and carry the starting and stopping loads and jars which would otherwise be transmitted to the containers and their contents. Also, the containers are then spaced for proper ventilation through the holes 21 in the side walls. Furthermore, the containers are placed end-to-end in each tier and are held against shifting by means of strips of wood or the like running across the car which rest upon and are nailed to the cleats 28, so that air may circulate through the holes 21 in the ends, top and bottom of the containers.

The cover panels 22 and 24 each extend somewhat more than half wayacross the topof the container so that they overlap, and their lateral portions 32 extend to, or preferably slightly beyond, the outer edge of cleats 28, so that the entire closure can be secured by means of one nail 3l at each end driven through both cover panels into one of the cleats as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Obviously, this simple and expeditious closure can be opened and reclosed without diillculty. The

purpose of having cover panels 22 and 24 extend slightly beyond cleats 28 as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5 is to allow for some upward rounding of these panels due to asmall bulge in the initial load. As this load packs together, as it wouldV if fruits or vegetables, the top becomes flat except for the slight raised portion at each end, which is shown in Fig. 5.

It will be apparent from the above that we have devised a novel and unusually advantageous container adapted to be used in the packaging and transportation of fruits and vegetables. While our invention has been -described in connection with aspeciilc embodiment thereof, it is not desired to limit the same to such embodiment, but to include alll modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

l. A container of the class described comprising, in combination. a rectangular bottom panel, a pair of side wall panels extending substantially vertically upward from two opposite edges thereof, a pair oi.' end wall panels extending substantially vertically upward from the other two edges of said bottom panel, said end wall panels extending a substantial distance above the plane deiined by the upper edges of said side wall panels, an extension on each lateral edge of each of said side wall panels lying in overlapping relation to the adjacent end wall panel, each of said extensions having substantially the same height as said end wall panels, whereby a reinforced end wall structure is obtained, and wood cleats having substantial width and cross-sectional area on the exterior of said container only and secured to each of said end wall panels and said extensions overlapped by said end wall panels, said cleats having their top surfaces substantially flush with the top edges of said end wall structure.

v 2. A container according to claim 1 wherein said cleats extend laterally a distance of approximately one-eighth inch to one-quarter inch be yond the planes of said side wall panels.

3. A container according to claim l wherein the differenceA in height between said end wall and side wall panels is of the order of one-eighth inch to one-quarter inch.

4. A container according to claim 1 including a cover panel integrally formed on the upper edge of each of said side wall panels adapted to overlap -Il to form a top closure, said cover panels extending laterally beyond the outer edges of said cleats.

SAMUEL w. Corinna. JEAN R. NEIL PAUL A. moana 

